Session 10: The Risk of Ministry (13-14)
In our previous lesson we learned how the gospel had been taken to the Gentiles and how a church for that purpose was started at Antioch. In today’s session we see how that church took a step farther by designating its own missionaries to further spread the gospel. The church there made a conscious effort to redirect their purpose from being solely local ministry to reaching out to foreign fields. These actions by this church would lead missionaries to evangelize and start new churches in Asia, Greece and Rome, the far reaches of the world at that time. The church at Antioch was willing to take risks.
Becoming a missional church requires risks: worship style and teaching methods to reach the community; commitment to fund mission efforts at home and abroad; commitment of individual members to serve in ministries, rejection of the message and danger of contention are all risks to be faced. But the reality is that a church who will not commit to being a Great Commission church is most probably facing death and dissolution. The history of protestant churches show that those who focus only inward, those whose primary ministry is the maintenance of the status quo, usually only last for the life-time of their members. The maxim of growing or dying is true more often than not.
The lesson for today shows how the church at Antioch was willing to take what appeared to be serious risks. This session recounts some of the difficulties and victories of those missionaries sent out by that church.
Read 13:1-6
1. Who were the five prophets and teachers in the church at Antioch?
________________________________________________________________________
2. What was distinctive about each?
Barnabas ________________________________________________________________
Simeon _________________________________________________________________
Lucius __________________________________________________________________
Manaen _________________________________________________________________
Saul ___________________________________________________________________
3. What were the instructions given concerning Barnabas and Saul?
_______________________________________________________________________
4. What did the church do in response to these instructions?
________________________________________________________________________
Read 13:4-12
5. Who did Barnabas and Saul encounter in Paphos? ___________________________
6. Who was Bar-Jesus with? ______________________________________________
7. How did Bar-Jesus oppose Saul? ________________________________________
8. What was Saul’s response? ____________________________________________
9. What was the effect on the proconsul?
Read 13:9
10. What is the significance of the name change from “Saul” to “Paul?”
________________________________________________________________________
Read 13:13-14
11. Where did Paul and Barnabas go from Paphos? ____________________________
12. Where did Paul go to preach? __________________________________________
Read 13:42-52
13. What were the reactions of the Jewish leaders when they saw the popularity of Paul and Barnabas?
________________________________________________________________________
14. What was Paul’s response to them? _____________________________________
15. What was the reaction of the Gentiles? ___________________________________
16. What was the effect on the gospel message in the region? ____________________
17. How did the Jews respond to the success of their preaching? __________________
18. How did Paul and Barnabas feel about being expelled from the city?
________________________________________________________________________
Read 14:1-7
19. What caused the division of beliefs between the Jews and Greeks in Iconium?
_______________________________________________________________________
20. Where did Paul and Barnabas flee to? ____________________________________
Read 14:19-20
21. What happened to Paul in Lystra? _______________________________________
Read 14:21-28
22. How did Paul and Barnabas strengthen the churches they established?
_______________________________________________________________________
23. What process did they use to inform the church at Antioch of the work they had done?
________________________________________________________________________
Churches and members who are “on-mission” inherently must take risks. At no point does the Bible tell us that the church at Antioch wavered in their commitment. Neither does it tell us that Paul ever entertained the thought of giving up. So must we remain committed to going and telling wherever God leads us to serve.